Table manners are the rules used while eating, which may also include the use of utensils. Different cultures observe different rules for table manners.
Each family or group sets its own standards for how strictly these rules are to be enforced.
Here there are some countries with the most interesting table manners around the world.
India
·
Irrespective of whether one consumes food using cutlery or with their hand
(typically the right hand), one is expected to wash hands before and after
consuming food. During the course of the meal, cleaning one's eating hand with
a cloth or paper tissue is considered unhygienic, though with the advent of
restaurant dining, it is becoming more acceptable. One may be asked to wash
their hands before and after sitting down to a meal.
·
It is customary to share food with anyone who wants it; however, not from
the plate one is eating from.
·
It is rude for one's host to not offer guests food multiple times.
·
Similarly, it is expected that one should not leave the table before the
host or until the eldest person has finished their food. It was not traditional to use dining
napkins or paper tissues while eating.
·
Playing with food or in any way distorting the food is unacceptable. Eating
at a medium pace is important, as eating too slowly may imply that you dislike
the food, whereas eating too quickly is rude.
China
· Dining may only begin once the host and all his
guests are seated. The host should actively take care of all his guests,
inviting them to enjoy their meal.
· On a typical Chinese dining table, there are always
a cup, a bowl on a small dish, together with the chopsticks and spoons. Dishes
are always presented in the center of the table.
· Apart from soup, all dishes should be eaten with
chopsticks. The Chinese are particular about the use of chopsticks. There are
many no-no's such as twiddling with chopsticks, licking chopsticks, or using
them to stir up the food, gesture with them or point them at others.
· Keep your dining pace accorded with other
people. Never smoke when dining.
·
A formal dining is always accompanied by tea, beer or distilled spirit. The
one who sit closest to the teapot or wine bottle should pour them for others
from the senior and superior to the junior and inferior. In addition, when
other people fill your cup or glass, you should express your thanks. Guests can not pour tea or wine themselves.
Costa Rica
· Do not begin eating
your meal until you hear the host say “Buen Provecho”. Then it is okay to begin
eating.
· The knife is always held in the left hand, and
the fork in the right.
· When a meal is finished, utensils are typically
laid parallel to each other on the plate.
· When not using your hands for eating, hands
should always be kept on the table and within sight. You can rest your hands
and wrists on the table, but never your elbows.
· When dining at a home, dishes are always passed
to the left.
· Never cut your salad with a knife, instead bunch
the lettuce up on your fork.
· The most honored position is at the head of the
table. If there are two hosts, one will be at each end of the table. Male
guests will sit to the right of the main host, and females will sit to the
left.
· When it comes to paying the bill, it is
customary for the one who invited the guests to pay the bill.
Brazil
· Brazilians do not switch knives and
forks as they eat. The knife remains in the right hand, and the fork remains in
the left. When the meal is finished, the knife and fork are laid parallel to
each other horizontally across the center of the plate-make sure they do not
cross each other.
· The fork and spoon above your plate
are for dessert. Always start from the outside and work your way in, course by
course. There will be separate glasses provided at your setting for water and
white and red wine or beer (after-dinner drink glasses come out after dinner).
· Bread (usually French bread) is
sometimes served without butter; in that case, there usually will not be a
butter knife, nor will there be a bread dish: your bread is placed on the rim
of your main plate or on the table by your plate.
· When not holding utensils, your
hands are expected to be visible above the table: this means you do not keep
them in your lap; instead, rest your wrists on top of the table (never your
elbows).
· Pass all dishes to your left.
· Never cut the lettuce in a salad.
Fold it with your knife and fork into a bundle that can be picked up with your
fork. Salad, if served, is more typically served as a side dish to the main
meal.
· The most honored position is at the
head of the table. The host or hostess will then sit to the side of the most important
guest, and if there is a hosting couple, they will often sit on either side of
the guest (women to the right of the guest, and men to the left).
·
Usually
the one who does the inviting pays the bill, although the guest is expected to
make an effort to pay. Sometimes other circumstances
determine who pays (such as rank).
Italy
1. Be Punctual But
Expect a Late Start
As with any
meeting, you should arrive on time to a business dinner in Italy. Just don’t be
surprised if you find yourself waiting for your Italian colleagues, who may
arrive 15-30 minutes later. Use the extra time to your advantage by studying
your Italian phrasebook, making conversation with people at the bar, or going
over your talking points one last time.
2. Slow Your Pace
Italians dine at a
more leisurely pace than frenzied Americans do and that’s putting it mildly.
Business dinners and lunches can last about three hours, sometimes even four.
So clear your schedule for the evening and come prepared to savor your food and
the entire dining experience.
3. Cut Your Pizza
Just like in
France and Germany, the continental style of holding your silverware is used,
and you should always eat with your silverware even if you’re enjoying some
delicious Italian pizza.
4. Order Espresso Not
a Cappuccino
Italians take
their coffee seriously and love lingering over a post-dinner shot of espresso.
Cappuccinos, lattes, and other milk-heavy coffee drinks are reserved strictly
for the morning and afternoon.
Now that you're
armed with these Continental dining basics and no longer have to think about
the etiquette of how to hold your fork, you can clear your mind to focus on the
more important parts of the meal—the business and the delicious food at hand.
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